IslandStats.com - Bermuda Sports Online

IslandStats.com

The Faroe Islands are well on course to stage an outstanding 2027 Island Games, according to Bermuda Island Games Association Chairman Jon Beard and Secretary Juanita Blee, who have returned from the International Island Games Association (IIGA) Annual General Meeting in Tórshavn.

The pair joined representatives from member islands for three days of meetings and venue inspections, giving delegates a first-hand look at the facilities and infrastructure that will welcome athletes from across the Island Games family next summer.

Hosted by the Faroe Islands, with the support of local sponsor Berti, the 2027 Games will bring together around 2,000 athletes and officials from islands across Europe and beyond.

Beard said the visit left the Bermuda delegation with every confidence that the Games will be another memorable chapter in the history of the Island Games.

"The Faroe Islands have all the ingredients needed to stage a truly exceptional Games," Beard said. "The sporting facilities are first class, the planning is well advanced, and everywhere we went we were met with warmth, enthusiasm and genuine pride from the local people."

He added that the scale and quality of the sporting infrastructure was particularly impressive for a nation of just 55,000 people.

"The Faroe Islands have invested significantly in sport. They have fourteen high-quality artificial football pitches used by their professional league, several excellent indoor arenas—including one that has recently been completed at a cost of approximately $37 million—a newly resurfaced 400-metre athletics track, and a superb 50-metre Olympic-standard indoor swimming pool. It is a remarkable sporting legacy for a country of this size."

The Faroe Islands, whose economy has been strengthened by a thriving fishing industry, consist of a number of islands connected by an extensive network of undersea tunnels. These links will allow athletes and officials to travel easily between venues, although most competitions will be centered in and around the capital, Tórshavn.

Competition at the 2027 Island Games will include archery, athletics, badminton, basketball, cycling, football, gymnastics, judo, shooting, swimming, table tennis, tennis, triathlon, volleyball and beach volleyball.

Blee said delegates were impressed not only by the facilities but also by the enthusiasm of the organizing committee and the local community.

"The organizers have clearly put an enormous amount of work into preparing for these Games, and it shows. There is tremendous excitement throughout the Faroe Islands, and we are confident athletes and visitors alike will receive a fantastic welcome. We hope Bermuda will once again send a large and competitive team."

The AGM also gave representatives from the member islands the opportunity to discuss future developments within the International Island Games Association and to review preparations for the 2027 event.

With the Games now less than a year away, the Bermuda Island Games Association will continue working closely with the island's national sporting associations as athletes prepare to qualify for selection.

Beard believes the Faroe Islands will provide a fitting stage for the next edition of the Games.

"One of the special qualities of the Island Games is that each host island brings its own unique culture and character while maintaining the friendly atmosphere that makes these Games so distinctive. The Faroe Islands have embraced that responsibility wholeheartedly, and we believe everyone travelling there next year is in for a wonderful experience."

Preparations are already under way for Bermuda's participation, with the Association hoping to send a strong team to compete against some of the best athletes from the Island Games family.